What's for dinner?

[lizamann]

I have to say that I feel pretty lame - DD is now 2 months old, and I have yet to make dinner once. I'm thinking it's about time...

Do you other parents out there manage to get in a healthy, nutritious, homemade meals? If so, how do you manage it? We live in Chicago with plentiful take-out and delivery options, which we abuse way too much. Delicious, but definitely NOT a bargain. But how do I cook when the baby wants to be held all the time? Can't cook and carry at the same time, unless there's no heat or knives involved.

I'm curious about what you all do...

Beth

[myllam]

Hi,

You are definitely not lame, you are a full time mom :-)

Both of us work full-time, so it is hard to get cooking in. We live in the SF Bay Area, so it is so easy to grab takeout. We've resorted to doing most of the prep work after DS goes to sleep and
then finishing up the next evening after work. Casseroles and stir-frys are great for this. Also, we've started using the crock pot a lot more. Since it is summer, grilling chicken/vegetables, etc. is a quick and easy option. Some people on this board have mentioned freezer cooking as a great option.

http://www.windsorpeak.com/dcforum/DCForumID30/1699.html

There was also a previous post re: quick recipes. I've tried several of them and they are awesome!

http://www.windsorpeak.com/cgi-bin/dcforum/dcboard.cgi?az=read_count&om=1273&forum=DCForumID30

And never underestimate the power of a Baby Einstein video to keep DD's attention while cooking :-)

And I must admit, we still grab take-out or eat-out more often then we should :-)

Anyways, good luck and HTH.

Monica

[nathansmom]

I use the crockpot. I throw everything in the pot in the morning while he is still sleeping and by dinner time we have a cheap, easy, yummy meal to eat. Prep time is 5 minutes at the longest and cleanup is easy.

I LOVE your daughters name btw.

[lizamann]

Thanks, Norah! Love your name too! Do you know where I can find crock pot recipes? I've never cooked that way. Don't have a crock pot either, come to think of it, but that can be easily remedied...

Beth

[MommytoDylan]

At my Costco there were two crock pot recipe books that looked good. I bought one called "Fix It And Forget It" last Sunday. They also have one by the same authors called "Fix It and Forget It for Entertaining" (something close to that title--I'm not sure of the exact words). The one I bought was under $11.00 and said it had been on the New York Times Bestsellers list.

Hope that helps,

[himom]

I've recently become a crock pot fan! You can just buy a few pounds of chicken or pork, toss them in, and add a bottle of something. Three hours later it's dinner. So far, DH and I have tried this with italian dressing & chicken, bbq sauce & pork chops, and Hawaiian bbq sauce with ribs. All of them turned out great! I've heard that bloody mary mix works well over chicken, but I have yet to try it.

Some links to check out:

http://allrecipes.com/directory/43.asp

http://busycooks.about.com/cs/crockpotrecipes/

Jodi
Mommy to Joshua, born February 2003

[C99]

Beth,

I also did not cook a meal until my baby was about 2 or 3-months-old! I just could not muster the energy or find the time until about then. The only reason I am cooking now (when Nate is nearly 6 months)is that I quit my job & we can't afford to continue to eat out as often. Have you been to Trader Joe's on Lincoln @ Grace? It's a life-saver. They make lots and lots of easy microwaveable meals and starters. Even my husband can figure them out!

HTH

[nathansmom]

Those are two books I have and I love them. I bought mine at Barnes and Noble. I know they had some at our local Sam's Club and Costco. They have some simple and very easy to follow recipes in there. I've tried quite a few of them. The nice thing about the crockpot is you can buy the cheaper meat and it will cook up tender.

A recipe I use often is:
1 pot roast
1 package of lipton onion soup
2-4 potatoes cut up
2-4 carrots cut up
Turn on high in the morning and by 6pm its done. Takes like 5 minutes to throw everything in together.

[SeekerMage]

we have a pretty tight schedule these days and unfortunatly have been going out way to much, which we cant afford...so its back to cooking I go. I have found that using the oven, while it makes the house warm in the summer, is a real life saver. THere are several "meal in a bag" dinners that you find in the gravy isle that are good, I think lipton? or one of those type names makes them. They have a country french chicken, oriental chicken, pork, beef, etc. All you really have to do is add you meat, some water and the seasoning and bake...they also have recipies on the package if you want to add rice and veggies so you dont have to do any other prep work. Also by the Hamburger Helper they have new oven classics that all you have to do is add the meat and bake etc. This is usually how we eat. If not eggs, omelets etc are quick and satisfying. A quick recipie for you if you like easy non fried fried rice is take a can of chicken and rice soup and add the water as directed, bring to a boil and add instant rice...cover and let sit...instant fried rice you can add butter and or soy sauce too...also mix in veggies, frozen or not and you have a quick meal.

Another suggestion if your little one doesnt like the swing or bouncy seat and MUST be held...try getting a baby pack where you can strap baby to your chest or back so your hands are free. Might help with part of the prep time atleast.

[August Mom]

I didn't make dinner for a long time either, but fortunately, I made lots of things for the freezer while waiting for DS to arrive (he was 13 days late). I still tend to make large batches of soup, sauces and meat fillings that can be frozen and then reheated during the week. I also always trim my chicken breasts, individually wrap them in plastic wrap and then freeze them so I can remove however many I need. I also use the crockpot. Julie (sweetbasil) has a list of great crockpot recipes that she shared with many of us. If you PM me with your e-mail address, I'll forward that list to you. You might consider sitting your baby in a bouncer or a reclined highchair in the kitchen while you cook. This sometimes works.

Two of my favorite crockpot recipes are pot roast and pork roast (which I then make into BBQ).

Pot Roast

3 lb. chuck roast, trimmed
salt
pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 lb. short-cut carrots
4 red potatoes, halved
1 medium onion, sliced
1 can beef broth
1/2 c. burgandy

Rub the chuck roast with salt, pepper and garlic. Place vegetables in bottom of crock pot. Top with roast Pour broth and wine over contents of crock pot. Cook on low for 8-10 hours. If you want, you can make a gravy by taking the broth after cooking and thickening with flour or cornstarch and adding thyme or your favorite herb.

Mexican Pork Roast

4 lb. pork shoulder (Boston Butt or Picnic)
salt
pepper
ground cumin
1 4-oz. can green chiles
1 can chicken broth
1 medium onion, sliced
1/2 lb. short-cut carrots
4 red potatoes, cut into wedges

Rub the pork with salt, pepper and cumin. Place vegetables in bottom of crockpot. Top with roast. Pour broth over contents. Cook on low 7-8 hours. Blend leftover pork with barbeque sauce for pulled pork sandwiches. If you just want barbeque, omit the vegetables from this recipe.

[lizamann]

Love Trader Joe's! I've only been there twice, and that was before the baby. Must go back!

Beth

[lizamann]

THese sound delicious, and I think my carnivorouse husband would love them too.

The list of recipes sounds great, too. But I don't know what PM means (I've been wondering for a while...). Could you tell me how to do it?

Thanks,
Beth

[August Mom]

Sorry about that. It took me awhile to get all the abbreviations too. PM means private message. To private message someone, you can either view a post, including a reply, of the person whom you wish to private message and click on the icon that looks like yellow paper with squiggly lines or you can access the person's profile and choose the option to send a private message.

I see that you have your profile hidden, but that you are accepting e-mail. However, I will need to send Julie's list as an attachment and I don't think that can do that without having your actual e-mail address and sending the list directly from my e-mail account. I hope that made sense.

[Marisa6826]

Beth-

PM is Private Message. It's the little icon that looks like a yellow notepad with wings to the right of the poster's name.


I LOVE to cook and am quite accomplished. However, Jonathan never gets home at the same time and it is almost always closer to 8:00 or 8:30. I've gotten used to eating so late, but it really screws up the rest of the night for anything else. Not to mention trying to have a meal ready without being overdone.

We have TONS of restaurants and take out places in the area. It's just way too convenient to order in all the time. So expensive, but it's a very, very bad habit.

I might just have to pick myself up a crock pot! :) Anything specific I should look for?

My only concern is that it takes up a lot of space. We're talking MINIMUM storage space!


-m

[dogmom]

Well, you can move out to the middle of no where like I did and you don't have good takeout and no one deliveries. ;)
Seriously, a crockpot is a good thing to rediscovered. I also love stir-fry stuff on rice, but even that is too much effort sometimes. I have a rice cooker which I always used because it makes perfect rice with no effort and keeps it warm. My Mom just bought me a bigger one with a steamer basket and I love it. I put the rice in, put in veggies on top (I sometimes by them already cut up) with a piece of fish or cut up chicken, and it all gets steamed at once. There are plenty of sauces I buy that I can put on when I serve it. It works really well since my DH's cholesterol test came back high. I also got a book called the "Ultimate Rice Cooker Book" which had some great, easy recipes.

[1stTimeMummytoLorelai]

Beth--

I am expecting our first in September and both DH and I are still working full time with huge commutes thank to the Army stationing us over 100 miles apart so after driving for a hour plus to get home, neither DH or I are too excited about cooking. I am in love with freezer cooking and have even got my mom (who works nights) hooked on it now. The basic concept is that you send your DH out with the baby for a Saturady and you take the day to cook enough meals for your family for 2 to 4 weeks. Then you package everything up and store it in the freezer or refridgerator. That way all you have to do is take it out of the freezer and reheat when it's time to eat. I'll admit that Saturday cooking marathon can be exhausting but it's worth it. Also if you can talk a friend into doing it with you it goes a lot faster. Right now my cooking buddy is my hubby and he's pretty darn good at it too!!

I got started off this website, if you're interested.
http://www.30daygourmet.com
These women cook for large families a month at a time. That's a little much for me. I usually cook for 2 weeks at a time.

Good luck,
Kate

[kransden]

Make sure whatever crockpot you buy has a removable liner to put in the dishwasher. I got one as a gift when I went to college that didn't. After I got married I upgraded to the removable one. I don't use it much in the summer but I do all the time in the winter. After dinner I cut the veggies and meat etc up, put the entire thing in the fridge then take it out before I go to work in the morning, and turn it on.

Karin
Katie 10/24/02